Apparatus for forming cork rods.



No. 832,717. PATENTED 00w. 9, 1906.

. H. F. BUSOH. APPARATUS FOR FORMING CORK RODS.

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APPLICATION FILED A.UG.1, 1905.

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I PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

I H. P. BUSGH. APPARATUS FOR FORMING CORK RODS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1905.

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PATENTED 001. 9, 1906.

H. F. BUSGH.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING CORK RODS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1, 19 05.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

HERMAN F. BUSOH, OF MILLVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ARMSTRONG CORKCOMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Oct. 9, 1906 Application filedAugust 1, 1905. Serial No. 272,165.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. BUSCH, of Millvale, Allegheny county,Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Form-ing CorkRods, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of myimproved machine. Fig. 2 is a' top plan view. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionon the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showingthe punching operation, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of an adjustablebevelwheel which I preferably employ.

My invention relates to the making of corks, and is designed to providean improved machine by which a square bar or stick of cork may be shapedinto a cylindrical blank, from which the cork-blanks are cuttransversely. V

In the drawings I show four driving-wheels 2, 3, 4, and 5, the inneredges of which are adapted to engage the four faces of the cork stick 6and feed it forward to the punch. Of these wheels threenamely, 2, 4, and5are preferably serrated or roughened on their edges to firmly grip thestrip and force it forward. The fourth wheel 3 is preferably plain-facedand engages the rough side of the cork strip. The wheel 2 is mounted ona shaft 7, carried in stationary bearings 8 and 9, and is provided witha driving-wheel, which I have shown as a sprocket-wheel 10. The otherthree wheels are mounted in a swinging frame 11, which is pivoted at 12,and when swung down into operative position is locked by a pin 13,extending through a link or bar 14, which projects down from theswinging frame. The pin 13 extends through the stationary standard 15and when it is withdrawn the frame carrying the three wheels 3, 4, and 5may be swung back into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3,thus giving access to the punch 16, so that it may be sharpened. Thesmooth-faced wheel 3 is preferably yieldingly pressed against one faceof the cork strip by a spring 17, which bears against a lever 18,pivoted at 19 and carrying the straps 20, in which the wheel 3 issupported. This yielding pressure on the wheel allows it to accommodateitself to the irregularities upon the rough side of the cork stick.

In the rear of the four wheels and in line with their pass is mountedthe hollow punch 16, having a forwardly-projecting sharpened tip, thepunch being preferably tapered toward its front end, so that the corkcylinder will clear the inner face of the punch and allow it to beforced forward easily and with out excessive friction. The punch ispreferably formed with a base portion 21, which is screwed into thehollow shaft 22, carried in stationary bearings 23 and 24. This hollowshaft 22 is rotated by any suitable connections, and I have shown forthis purpose a belt wheel or pulley 25, formed upon it be tween thebearings. 26 represents oiling devices for the punch-shaft bearings. toguide the punched cylinder through the hollow shaft, I preferably securean inner tube 27 to the base of the punch, this tube extending throughthe shaft 22 and preferably hav ing its end portion carried in a bearing27 beyond the end of the shaft.

The feeding device comprising the wheels and their supports may beadjusted toward and from the punch by mounting the frame upon a guideway28, the frame being secured in adjusted position by bolt 29, extendingthrough a slot 30 in the guide. The bearing 9 also moves in a similarguideway 31 and is secured by bolt 32.

In using the apparatus the bark is cut into sticks substantially squarein cross-section, and these strips are fed forward over the shelf 33and-between the wheels of the feeder. The feeder forces the stickforwardly into the punch, which punches it into a cylinder, the scrapportions 34 dropping outside of the punch. The punch rotates at a highrate of speed during this punching operation, and the cylinder is forcedforwardly within it and through its hollow shaft. As the sticks are fedforward one after the other, one cylinder serves to eject the precedingone and push it from the rear end of the tube 27. To sharpen the punch,the tilting frame is thrown back and the punch sharpened by a Whetstoneor other desirable apparatus. As the punch wears in use the feedingdevice may be adj usted toward it by adjusting the frame carrying thefeeder-wheels.

In order to provide for using different sizes In order of cork sticks, Ipreferably provide adjustable bevel-gears in the driving connectionsbetween the wheels 2, 4, and 5. One of these adjustable bevel-gears isshown in Fi 5. The shaft 7 is provided with an eXternalIy screw threadedcollar 35 keyed thereto, and the bevel-wheel 38 is internallyscrew-threaded, so that it will screw on the screw-threaded sleeve. Itis clamped in adjusted position by the nut 39. The screw-threads extendin a left-hand direction and the shaft is rotated in a right-hand orclockwise direction, so that the rotation holds thebevel-wheelinposition. Similar bevel-wheels 40, 41, and 42 connect thedriving-shafts for the wheels 5 and 4. By adjusting these bevel-wheelsthe pass between the feeder-wheels may be changed in size, thespring-pressed non-driven wheel 3 adjusting itself to the differentsizes.

The advantages of my invention result from the rapidity of action andthe uniformity of the product. The square sticks are rapidly transformedinto cork cylinders of any desired diameter, which may then be cuttransversely and tapered, if necessary, to form corks. The machine isadjustable for different sizes of cylinders and cork sticks, the

' yielding wheel accommodates the rough side prising a of the stick, andthe operation may be carried out withoutthe use of skilled labor.

Many variations may be made in the form and arrangement of the feedingdevice, the punch and the other parts, Without departing from myinvention.

I claim 1. In apparatus for forming cylindrical cork sticks, thecombination with a revolving hollow punch, of feeding mechanismcomlurality of feed-wheels, one of which is yielding and free to rotateand arranged to eXert a yielding pressure upon one 2. In apparatus forforming cylindrical cork sticks, the combination with a revolving hollowpunch, of feeding mechanism comprising four wheels arranged to form afeed ing-pass between their edges, and a swinging frame in which threeof the said wheels are carried and which is arranged to be moved tocarry said wheels away substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for forming cylindrical cork sticks, the combinationwith a hollow punch, of feeding means, comprising a plurality of wheelsarranged at different angles to form a feeding-pass between their edges,and a swinging frame in which all but one of said wheels are carried;and which is arranged to be swung laterally to carry said wheels awayfrom the punch; substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for -forming cylindrical from the punch;

cork sticks, the combination with a hollow In testimony whereof havehereunto set my hand.

HERMAN F. BUSOH. Witnesses:

JOHN MILLER, H. M. OoRwIN.

